Welcome Message by Mr Senzo Mchunu, The Honourable Premier of KwaZulu-Natal and Patron of the African Renaissance Festival

As the provincial government we are looking forward to welcoming delegates from other provinces and
neighbouring countries including the Diaspora. I am particularly impressed with the range of topics that will be discussed by delegates during the conference. If discussed with zeal and commitment, such topics can create new opportunities for collaboration across the continent.

This continent requires collaboration and collective commitment in order to deepen and achieve regional economic integration. It is very important to note that this country has demonstrated a commitment to deepening socio-economic integration by entering into a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with SADC member countries in 2008.

According to the Agreement, producers and consumers don’t have to pay import tariffs on an estimated 85% of all trade on goods between 11 countries such as Bostwana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is envisaged that in the future this agreement will create a regional
market worth about 360-billion US dollars benefiting a total population of 170-million people.

In view of this, I believe that young people must begin to seriously position themselves in order to take advantage of business opportunities offered by regional markets. Therefore the focus on “Entrepreneurs
for Africa” which is the theme for this years’ African Renaissance Conference is timely and will enhance discussions.

Over the years, we have used the African Renaissance to ensure that we connect with our brothers and sisters in the continent and the Diaspora. It needs to be remembered that the origins of our contemporary liberation struggle is closely associated with the inspiration from many other struggles, amongst which were the struggles of the descendants of the slaves that had been forcibly removed from our soil who continued the fight over generations in the North and South America and other parts of the Western world for the return to their country of origin âˆ' Africa.

There is a direct link between the African intellectuals who studied abroad and some of the leading luminaries and proponents of the Pan Africanist thinking in America, such as Marcus Garvey, DEB Du Bois and Booker T Washington. Many of these leaders of the African American people
had many discussions with some of the pioneers of the liberation struggle in the continent, such as Dr J.L. Dube, Dr Pixley ka Isaka Seme, Kwame Nkrumah, Patrice Lumumba, Haile Sellasie and many others who rose to lead their countries out of colonialism. Dr Dube founded a school in Ohlange a few kilometers from here modeled on the Tuskegee Institute founded by Booker T Washington to “train the mind, the heart and the hand.”

The work of Mahatma Gandhi especially the peaceful protests (known as Satyagraha) formed the main inspiration for the civil rights movement led by Dr Martin Luther King Junior, amongst others. He was also in close communication with Chief Albert Luthuli who led our struggle during the most challenging time
in our history.

A few years ago we had the privilege as the provincial government to honour and host Rev Jesse Jackson who was at the side of Dr Martin Luther King during his last moments. He recounted how this realisation that the struggle for civil rights and equality for the African Americans was inextricably bound to our own struggle against colonisation, oppression and in particular apartheid.

The commitment of African leaders to the total decolonisation of Africa was such a deeply held conviction that was demonstrated by the insistence of the leaders of the Organization of African Unity that as long as one country in the continent is not free, Africa cannot be said to be totally free. The African Renaissance
Festival is about celebrating the freedom of the African people from bondage of colonisation. It is about reawakening the spirit of brotherhood and strengthening the solidarity amongst African people and to remind us that our fate is bound together.

It is an opportunity to recharge and define our next steps in the fight for the dignity of the African irrespective of which part of the globe they may be. It is an opportunity to remind us of the struggle that lies ahead of us and the challenges that we have to overcome before we can attain full equality for all.